By the Numbers and Final Thoughts

El Valle, Panama "All You Need is Love"

Total Trip Time - Approximately 154 days and 22 hours

Amount of Time in Each Country

• Mexico - 40 days


• Belize - 9 days


• Guatemala - 39 days


• El Salvador - 8 days


• Honduras - 17 days


• Nicaragua - 27 days


• Costa Rica - 9 days


• Panama - 14 days

Rankings (Favorite to least favorite: Note - This is similar to choosing your favorite ice cream)

1. Mexico


2. Guatemala


3. Panama


4. Nicaragua


5. El Salvador


6. Belize


7. Costa Rica


8. Honduras

Number of different Cities/Towns I stayed in

Cities/Towns - 43

Number of Times I Ralphed

1 - A Burger King Whopper on a boat en route to Utilla, Honduras

Number of Times I Was Robbed in the Streets, Shot At, or Killed

0

Number of Books I read (including Road Trip USA)
28 (16 in last 5 months)

Best and Worsts

Cheapest Country - Nicaragua
Most Expensive Country - Costa Rica
Best Transportation - Mexico (multiple times better than Central America)
Best Large City - Panama City
Worst Place I Stayed - Corozal Town, Belize

Most Memorable Experiences

1. Sun Rise from the top of Volcan Tajumulco in Guatemala, the highest point in Central America at 13,900 feet.


2. First time breathing under water and getting my Open Water Certificate in Utilla Honduras.


3. Going to a bull fight in my first week out of the country and loving a city I thought I should be afraid of (Mexico City).


4. Living with a family in San Pedro, Guatemala in Lago Atitlan and realizing it is possible for me to learn another language.


5. The chicken buses - the ridiculousness of them.

         And most of all...the local people I met, their kindness, the hostels and other tourists I met, the cultures and uniqueness of all the different cities I spent time in.

        This trip changed me, but only for the better. This world is filled with good people and for knowing that I am grateful. I am fortunate to live in the country I do, but its apparent from this trip there are far more happy poor people down here then happy people with money up there. Money is nothing in the end. Of course, its necessary, I need it to do what I'm doing, but I hope I never let it control me and make me a lesser person. Money should be a means of improvement. Means to improve myself and those around me. There is far less stress and far more smiles down here and I don't plan on losing that upon returning home.

        The USA is a great place and fuck all the dumb ass Americans on this trip who belittled our country to befriend dumbasses who thought otherwise. However, I do hope to see more of you (Americans) on my next journey. Travel is knowledge - understanding strips away fear. People are good and you all need to see that for yourself. There is nothing to fear. Forget fear. Learn to respect. All people have something to offer. Don't fear traveling in certain countries. Fear not traveling. Fear what you believe because you've never seen it for yourself. Maybe it is really dangerous down here. Maybe I'm completely wrong and was incredibly lucky to have nothing bad happen to me. Maybe. But I don't think so. I think these are good family loving, hard working people down here, and a few desperate souls who seem to have no other answers, give the whole region a bad name.

       I want to keep checking out this world. I want to keep learning from other people. I want to keep improving myself.

"Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothings is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full of meaning and its incredible beauty."

I couldn't have said it any better myself Mr. McCandless....


         The last year has been the most incredible of my life. I traveled through 10 countries. 38 U.S. states and did it all almost entirely solo. In Central America I did it with the smallest duffle bag out of any traveler I saw on my whole trip. I traveled with two pairs of underwear, two short sleeve shirts, one long sleeve, one pair of rip away pants, and one pair of khaki pants. I bought next to nothing physical on the entire trip. That wasn't why I was here. I traveled without a cell phone, laptop, or Ipod. I read books. I made three phone calls the entire trip. All to my mom. Sorry it wasn't more, but I forgot to teach you how to use Skype and international calls are expensive. I like to travel light - have what you need and need what you have...thanks for that one Uncle Ray.

Next stop Boston, then Niantic, CT for some family and friend time. Come August, I'm off again.

Espana is calling my name.

If you've been reading these, I hope you've enjoyed. It's in end of the line for Destination Nowhere - but travels will continue....